Page 52 of Avenging Devil: Part 2

Carefully, I move her back with me. When we’re through, Buzzard follows, and Joker, still with his eyes on the guard dogs, gets clear.

Gun exchanged for fingers, he knits together the broken strands of wire, then rasps out, “Get her clear, now.”

Moving as fast as I can, I get her back to where the bikes are parked.

“She can come back with me.” Joker’s eyes flare in amusement. “I don’t care about a bitch riding with me. Lady won’t be bothered as long as she doesn’t have man parts.”

Buzzard snorts and I bark a laugh, but quickly recover. “Alright, sweetheart?” I ask her gently, knowing it’s me she knows and not him.

She pales when she eyes the motorcycle, but casting a look behind her seems to make up her mind, as she shivers, then states, “Just get me out of here.” Her fist goes up to her mouth. “Niran…”

“Niran will be fine,” I offer, not having a clue whether or not that’s the truth. But fuck me, it’s all I can let myself believe.

The ride is short. When we’re back at our temporary base, with my arm around her, I lead her back to the truck and set her on the tailgate. “You hurt?” I examine her with my eyes, remembering how we thought she was shot. Her face is swollen as though she’s been beaten, which makes my gut clench.

Emotions flit across her face. Relief that she’s safe, her teeth worrying her lip as she’s probably thinking about her old man, but overall, she seems to be holding up okay. Considering the couple of days she’s had, I wouldn’t be surprised if she soon comes crashing down. Even now I can see her shivering though Gears has lent her his coat. Her adrenaline rush is fading.

“You hurt?” I repeat.

She glances at me as if she’s lost in her head. Then, like me, she ignores her injuries from the abuse I assume she’d received at the hands of Duke, and gives me the update from her escape. “I twisted my ankle, that’s all, I think. I-I’d thought they’d shot me.”

So did we. I raise my eyes to the heavens, giving silent thanks that wasn’t the case.

“Hey.” Brute swings around, a beaming smile on his face, yelling back at us excitedly. “They’ve got Niran. He’s alive. They’re just taking out the stragglers and then they’ll signal us to go down and get him.”

As Saffie drops her head into her hands and lets out a deep breath, I query, “He okay?”

At that, Saffie raises her head again and pays attention.

It’s obvious Gears isn’t as happy as Brute. His grimace says it all when he, too, turns. Something that’s picked up by Saffie.

“Is he hurt badly?” Her face pales as she jumps awkwardly down.

Seeing she looks distressed, I pull her back into my arms. “He’s alive, Saffie. Your old man’s going to be fine.”

“He’s not my old man,” she hisses, her eyes flaring.

It’s Gears who gives the appalled look I feel, and he snarls, “Why do you think five chapters have come and risked their fuckin’ lives to get you out of there? Because you’re fuckin’ Niran’s that’s why. Because he claimed you, we came to get both you and him out.”

Saffie tenses and I want to punch Gears. She’s got such a fear of bikers, he’s not helping now. But to my surprise, she stands up to him. Pulling out of my grasp, she slides down to stand on her own two feet. “Niran told Duke he betrayed me.” She stabs at his chest with her finger. “Last night, he acted as my jailer. He wouldn’t even talk to me. Then Niran stopped Slit from raping me.” Brushing back her hair with her hand, she shakes her head. “Then he told me to run, and they shot me.” Again, there’s that full body shudder. “I don’t know what to believe. I don’t know who Niran is.”

Glaring at Gears, he shrugs, and moves back inside the truck. I harden my voice. “Now listen here, Saffie. Niran had fuck all to do with Duke finding you, you hear me? The only fuckin’ reason he’s here was to try to help you escape. Which he’s done.” I pause, waiting for some reaction. When I get a hesitant shiver, I carry on. “Sure, it might have not been the way he’d wanted it. Yes, you were shot at, but you survived. By making sure he didn’t let Duke take you alone means Niran was fuckin’ prepared to give his life for you. You going to walk out on him now?”

Niran wouldn’t have done half of what he had if he didn’t care for her. And, he’d claimed her. Once he’d done that, he’d have moved heaven and earth to keep her safe.

Saffie doesn’t look quite so indignant. She twists her mouth then covers her face with her hand. After a moment, she looks up and says again, “I don’t know what to believe, Grumbler.”

“Believe Niran was, is, and will always be on your side. The question is, are you on his now? Choice is yours, Saffie. You say the word, and we’ll have you out of here.”

Mentally I’m crossing my fingers. I don’t know what state Niran’s in, but if she leaves, I’ve got a notion it will break him worse than anything the Wolves could have done. But if she’s at least not going to try, it’s best to pull that Band-Aid off now.

I don’t know what the fuck happened. I don’t know why Kid was killed, nor why Niran was captured along with her. Taking her hand, I pull her away, out of earshot of anyone else.

“You’ve not much time for bikers, have you, Saffie? I can understand that.” I pause, letting my sympathy show. “Thing is, Saff, my boy is still fuckin’ in there, and he’s hurt. Hurting because of you.”

“I didn’t ask—”

“Whether you asked him or not, you think he’d have stayed back when the Crazy Wolves took you? Fuck, you must know Niran better than that.” I take a breath to calm myself. “Saffie, you’ve just escaped something dreadful. We’re ending the fuckin’ Wolves, right here, right now. You’ll never have to worry about Duke ever again.” Again, I halt, waiting to see if my words have sunk in. “Just do me one favour, okay? Hang around, stay with Niran, and give him a fuckin’ chance.”

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